Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

Calends

The calends were the first days of each month of the Roman calendar. The Romans assigned these calends to the first day of the month, signifying the start of the new moon cycle. On that day, the pontiffs would announce at the Curia Calabra the rest days for the upcoming month and the debtors had to pay off their debts that were inscribed in the kalendaria, a sort of accounts book. The date was measured forward to upcoming days such as the calends, nones or ides. Thus, while modern calendars count the number of days after the first of each month, III. Kal. Ian. would be December 30th, three days before the first of January. To find the day of the calends of the current month, one counts how many days remain in the month, and add two to that number. For example, April 22, is the 10th of the calends of May, because there are 8 days left in April, to which 2 being added, the sum is 10.
Computation of the days of the month from calends can be done using the following verses:
Principium mensis cujusque vocato kalendas:
Sex Maius nonas, October, Julius, et Mars;
Quattuor at reliqui: dabit idus quidlibet octo.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

Calends

kal′endz, n. among the Romans, the first day of each month. [L. Kalendæ—calăre, Gr. kalein, to call, because the beginning of the month was proclaimed.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

Calends

the first day of the Roman month, so called as the day on which the feast days and unlucky days of the month were announced.